What is 'toning'?

[Tatyana]

I posted quite a few articles on this thread:

I want to tone but I don't want to get too big

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/w...tone-but-i-don-t-want-get-too-big-583600.html

 

[curvymommy]

lol, love this conversation. Chick trainers use that word all the time at my gym.

Omega's never used that term in his program, lol. But to each their own Whatever works. I just wanna be a hawtie when I grow up.

One term that cracks me up on this site and I feel great when ppl use it with me is "impressive gains!" I love that. I've worked so hard for so long to lose weight that now i'm making "gains" SWEET! heehee

 

[bw1]

Hey ladies,

I noticed a lot of you mention you want to get 'toned'. Soooooooooo, I though that it would be a good idea to distinguish exactly what this term means to you.

I do have an agenda, as I want to eliminate this word from any sort of fitness training and the vocabulary of women wanting to get into shape.

What do you mean when you say you want to get 'toned'?

It is a physiological term, I will put that up later.

+1, I cringe when I hear women say that

 

[chazk]

Hey tat , I was really playing devils advocate.

I was wanting to show you ( as you are aware ) that some studies exist for spot reductions.

Often times it is possible to " tone " shape the arms in legs due long endurance training , Such as bicycling miles every day, running , Or doing a eliptical machine for a hour everyday using arms and legs.

But you are def correct , If will not reduce fat in the lower back, face, abs . That can only be achieved by total body fat reduction .

 

[dirty~d~]

When I signed up at my current gym the 'sales rep' actually asked me if I wanted to 'tone up'. I laughed so loud I think I embarrassed him. I don't think I've ever used that term intentionally. In order to help maintain focus on your exact goals, using the proper terms is important.. BURN FAT, BUILD MUSCLE.

Excellent thread, T!!!

 

[fit4sure]

Wanting to "Tone up" means:"I am scared to lift weights and afraid to bulk up or get to strong cause you know how the mens hate that!"

Or it could me:"i only want to lose the fat on my belly and my butt, and keep my boobs and have pipe cleaner arms and legs."

Really, I get annoyed when people say that MY GOAL is to tone up! My goal is to get buffed and ripped with a big muscular butt. I want to bench my own weight. F*ck being toned.


OoH. Someone just wrote their new sig!

 

[Bikini Mod]

lol, love this conversation. Chick trainers use that word all the time at my gym.

Omega's never used that term in his program, lol. But to each their own Whatever works. I just wanna be a hawtie when I grow up.

One term that cracks me up on this site and I feel great when ppl use it with me is "impressive gains!" I love that. I've worked so hard for so long to lose weight that now i'm making "gains" SWEET! heehee

Yet another reason that I wuv you so much CM!!!

I used to love it when women would approach me in the gym back in the day and ask me about training but always say, "But I don't want to look like a man!" I would chuckle and ask, "Do I look like a man?" They would get flustered thinking they insulted me and reply, "No I didn't it mean it like that." To which I would quickly respond, "So then how exactly did you mean it?"

For some women the lightbulb would go on at that moment or shortly thereafter but for many others it was obvious that they were just lost in all the noise.

Not everyone WANTS to have the physique of a competitor. Cool... we get that. But a body like that doesn't happen *by accident, magically, overnight*! It takes YEARS and YEARS of conscious ass-busting work and serious attention to diet.

Even when I would say that there would still be many that gave me the *deer in headlights, the lights are all on but aint nobody home* stare... At that point I would make a quick exit from the conversation.

For MOST women toning = being smaller (tearing their bodies down at all costs) and less flabby (which is IMPOSSIBLE to do with more mass). What they don't realize that building muscle = higher metabolism = less bf = more compact and harder more efficient machine <---- THEIR NEW BODY.

 

[Ash1978]

I think another reason women use that term a lot is because it's everywhere. It's in every Oxygen & Fitness magazine that I've seen.

My mom just made a comment to me this past weekend. I've put on some weight since I've started eating clean (and don't like it) but my mom said "see eating all that protein & lifting has you looking bulky like a man. You need to eat less and try and tone up." Ugh, I just wanted to smack her in her eye. She's one of those that thinks to lose weight you have to starve yourself. Yes she's skinny but skinny/fat, and I can't get her to understand anything different. I can't wait until I start to see weight loss & muscle just to prove her wrong.